1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to systems and methods of washing a body cavity, and in particular to systems and methods of affecting a flow of field, including affecting the flow's disposition or degree, to provide efficacious washing of a body cavity.
2. Description of the Related Art
For many health or comfort care situations, utilizing an appropriate manner of applying a treatment can be nearly as critical to the treatment's effectiveness as correctly selecting a treatment that is suitable for the issue being treated. The consequences of misapplication can range from a relatively benign lack of relief, to a more serious initiation of an additional issue due to the misapplication, on up to an abandonment of treatment altogether, or even a switch to a differing, potentially even dangerous alternative treatment when the original treatment is still the best choice if applied properly. In many cases, the potential for misapplication is particularly prevalent when the treatment itself is a deceptively simple, everyday action. Washing of a body cavity is such an easily misunderstood treatment that the present invention provides systems and methods for ensuring its efficacious application.
A variety of body cavities, such as the nasal cavity or the vagina, are potentially benefited by washing with externally applied techniques. A difficulty common among many of these cavities is that while the individual is, of course, quite familiar with the cavity in many senses, it is also generally not possible for the individual to see well within the cavity, nor to be exactly aware of the detailed internal structure and topography of their own cavity, since there are variations from person-to-person. Since many of the treatments available are preferably applied in particular dispositions relative to the cavity, and/or are best conducted in particular manners that are not easily regulated, especially when an individual is self treating, a significant potential for misapplication is common. Among the more frequent situations where body cavity washing can be beneficial, and a useful illustration of the difficulties addressed by the present invention, is the practice of washing (or cleansing) the nasal cavity.
An understanding of the benefits of efficacious nasal washing has a long history in numerous cultures. Nasal washing or nasal irrigation is an ancient Ayurvedic technique known as Jala neti, which literally means “nasal cleansing” in Sanskrit (a classical language of South Asia). With origins based in the yoga tradition, nasal washing has been an accepted practice throughout India and South East Asia. Although not as historically common in Western cultures, these Eastern cultures have performed Jala neti as routinely as brushing one's teeth for centuries. Traditionally, a neti pot (which is a tea pot or Aladdin's lamp shaped vessel) has been used to flow salt water into one nostril, through the sinus cavities and out the other nostril. In the West, for over a century now, doctors have also come to appreciate the benefits of nasal washing. Alfred Laskiewicz, departmental Head of Pozna Otolaryngology Department (1932-1939) at the time, described conservative treatments of nasal irrigation from general hygiene to treatment of Scleroderma. The Proetz procedure has been used by ear, nose and throat surgeons for years to irrigate the sinuses after surgery.
Many forms of equipment have been utilized to effect nasal lavage including gravity flow vessels, pressure bottles, powered machines, misters, IV bags, sprays, squirts, flushers, bulbs, syringes, squeeze bottles, and even turkey basters. In addition to diversely configured physical modes of executing nasal washing, an assortment of differing types of wash solutions have also been employed. Most often, these solutions primarily consist of various salt solutions. Among those that have been studied are salt rinse formulations that are isotonic, hypertonic, or buffered, as well as those with additives such as colloidal silver, antibiotics and herbs. (An isotonic solution has the same salt concentration as the human body, a hypertonic solution bas a greater salt concentration than the human body, and a buffered solution, in this context, is less acidic and is often generally better tolerated as well as potentially more effective.) The overall effectiveness of nasal washing has been repeatedly supported by the results of these scientific investigations. Currently, a hypertonic buffered saline solution has been shown to be most effective in treatment of congestion, along with removal of infectious and allergenic particles, but an isotonic buffered saline solution works well for overall daily washing.
Over the past decade, a slowly growing expansion of interest in nasal cleansing has taken root in the United States. Among the factors contributing to this growth are the overall surge in appeal of preventative and alternative medicine, as well as a mounting trend towards an integrative approach to healthcare. Although antihistamines, decongestants, steroids, mucolytics, immune modulators, and antibiotics are already commonly prescribed for various nasal and sinus health issues, doctors have increasingly also added the adjunct treatment of nasal irrigation for allergy suffers, post operative sinus surgery patients, and for patients with chronic sinusitis. Recently, proactive nasal washing is being recommended as a preventative approach for these health conditions. The benefits of nasal washing include refreshing, cleansing and moisturizing the nasal membranes. A lack of washing can produce substantial discomfort and health complications (such as allergic reactions, nasal congestion, sinus infections, post nasal drip, sore throat, asthma or nasal discharge) when not in optimal condition, as most people can personally attest. When washing with a hypertonic salt mixture, the nasal and sinus environment become more difficult for bacterial or viral growth.
Presently, many products are available to enable implementing nasal, washing more quickly, more easily, more effectively, and with less resulting mess. Even with such an extensive history of addressing the issue of nasal cleansing, substantial problems in ensuring that nasal cleansing is reliably efficacious remain unsolved, however. Among the principal problems remaining are that the vast majority of approaches do not account for the particulars of the physical arrangement of the nasal cavity, which impacts both the preferable manner and degree of nasal washing action. Most prior systems and methods enable introducing the wash solution to the nasal cavity without also enabling improved control and guidance of the manner of introduction (for example, washing pointing upwards can be uncomfortable), much less discernment, during the washing process itself, as to any aspect of whether the solution is being appropriately applied. In sum, it is difficult, if not impossible, for users of the current systems to ascertain the correct angle at which they must hold the nasal washing apparatus and their upper body when applying the cleansing solution to the nasal cavity. This is problematic because, among other things, improper application of nasal solution in the nasal cavity can result in an uncomfortable feeling for a user (e.g., the user feels like they are drowning) and improper cleansing of the nasal cavity. Further, improper insertion of a nasal washing apparatus and application of nasal washing solution has the potential to introduce contaminants, pollutants, infectious particles and debris into the sinus cavity. The frustration associated with this discomfort and confusion regarding application can lead user's to abandon the nasal washing process altogether, thereby forgoing a maintenance ritual with could positively impact their health.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a nasal washing apparatus and system whose application is easily understood and carried out by the user, in addition to nasal washing apparatuses that provide additional features to increase the comfort of nasal washing.